Motor Boat & Yachting — November 2017

22

Thirty one knots – is that enough for a sportscruiser of such

rakish proportions with a name that conjures up images of one

of Maranello’s most iconic exports? It’s an interesting question

because on the face of it, the answer is probably not. Even

with the larger 1,200hp MAN V8s, the quoted top speed is

32 knots, which isn’t exactly storming performance. The

reality is though, that as much as the traditionalists don’t

like it, boaters are slowing down, and the appetite to

charge along at 40 knots burning large quantities of fuel

is being replaced with a desire to cruise comfortably and

effi ciently in the low twenties, or at displacement speeds. No wonder

stabilisers are fast becoming a more popular option than big engines.

On test, with 75% fuel, 50% water, a Seakeeper 16 and

Williams 325 on board, the 63’s performance felt perfectly

adequate, but it’s not a particularly exhilarating boat to drive.

It has wonderfully light steering and a keen initial turn-in,

but with very little lock to play with, limited rudder angles

and a broad beam, it soon fl attens out into a sizeable

turning circle. To be fair, the engineers hadn’t yet had

a chance to play with prop sizes or fettle the steering,

and future boats are likely to be lighter, quicker and

more agile, although Fairline makes no bones about the

fact that refi nement and comfort were a higher priority

than outright performance and handling.

Although the Targa 63 isn’t a custom-built boat, there

is a staggering selection of layouts to choose from. This

starts at the transom, where you can have either a tender

garage and a single crew cabin or no tender garage and

a twin crew cabin. On the main deck, you can decide

between an extended cockpit or saloon, the latter leaving

space for a sociable aft-galley layout with a bar facing into

the cockpit. There are six potential galley positions and if

you opt to have it on the main deck, it also frees up space

for an optional fourth cabin below.

Hull number one, destined for the US, is an extended

cockpit galley-up layout with three cabins and a day heads

below decks. The lobby area down here feels rather wasteful but

the extra toilet means you don’t have to tramp through your cabin

in damp swimwear to use the loo.

The main deck feels enormous, partly because it is physically

such a large space but with two huge glass panels overhead and

those massive side windows, plus cockpit doors that slide to

QUICK SPIN

Mancini’s fi ngerprints are

all over the 63’s profi le. We

particularly like this angle

The angled table legs

improve legroom when

it’s in coffee table mode

At the touch of a button,

the doors disappear

down into the deck

The 63 has three

cabins, with an

optional fourth

of Maranello’s most iconic exports? It’s an interesting question On test, with 75% fuel, 50% water, a Seakeeper 16 and

Williams 325 on board, the 63’s performance felt perfectly

adequate, but it’s not a particularly exhilarating boat to drive.

It has wonderfully light steering and a keen initial turn-in,